United States - Jordan 2012-2013 Work Program on Environmental Cooperation

Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

May 3, 2012

The Joint Forum on Environmental Technical Cooperation (Joint Forum), established pursuant to paragraph 3 of the U.S.-Jordan Joint Statement on Environmental Technical Cooperation (Joint Statement), hereby defines a Work Program through 2013 that reflects national priorities for each Government.

I. Background

The Governments of the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (the Parties) executed a Joint Statement on October 24, 2000, corresponding to the twenty-sixth day of Rajab, 1421. In so doing, the Parties recognized that cooperation is the principal means for ensuring that trade and environmental policies are mutually supportive and promote the optimal use of resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development. The objective of the Joint Statement is to establish a framework for enhancing bilateral and/or environmental cooperation between the Parties. The Joint Statement establishes a Joint Forum with a mandate “to advance environmental protection in Jordan by developing environmental technical cooperation initiatives, which take into account environmental priorities, and which are agreed to by the two governments.”

II. Priority Areas for Cooperation and Related Activities

The Parties plan to focus cooperation in the four areas listed below. We also have listed examples of the types of activities we may undertake under each of these areas and favor programs that reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities while growing income and employment. The Parties plan to focus cooperation on creating green jobs and other economic opportunities that promote green growth and sustainable development.

The Parties may pursue these activities through consultations, exchange of data and sharing of experiences, including by means of digital video conferences and electronic communications. The Parties may update or modify the objectives and activities set forth in this Work Program during future consultations. The implementation of activities is contingent on the availability of funding and other resources from the Parties and other sources.

The Parties intend to explore the development of partnerships with private sector and civil society organizations in carrying out their work. The Parties also note ongoing bilateral cooperative work in other fora, and intend to complement and build upon this work.

Objectives: To work with national and local governments in Jordan to: (1) strengthen their ability to effectively enforce their environmental laws; (2) support the adoption and implementation of necessary environmental laws, regulations, and other measures, including commitments in multilateral environmental agreements; (3) exchange information and experiences on legal, policy, regulatory, enforcement, and compliance regimes for, and approaches to, environmental protection and natural resource management, including through market-based mechanisms.

Activities

1. Foster and enforce best practices on implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

3. Continue the close cooperation efforts with the Government of Jordan in identifying the best approaches to move forward with the Arab Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (ANECE) after its launch in June 2009, to find ways to share experiences, raise awareness, and capacity building related to environmental compliance and enforcement.

B. Biodiversity Conservation and Improved Management of Protected Areas and Other Ecologically Important Ecosystems

Objectives: To work with national and local governments in Jordan to (1) promote and encourage the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and all of its components, including plants, animals, and habitats; (2) improve the management of protected areas and other ecologically important ecosystems; and (3) create green jobs in communities in and around protected areas, helping them to better realize the economic benefits derived from the protected areas.

Activities

1. Share experiences in working with indigenous and gateway communities, including assessing current roles and relationships and providing advice regarding how these communities might better realize benefits from the protected areas while at the same time improving protected area management.

2. Assist in developing a training center for excellence in sustainable tourism, protected area management, rehabilitating specific reserves and protected areas, and managing wildlife in order to develop green job skills.

4. Increase awareness of changing climatic conditions in Jordan and its effects on water security and biodiversity.

C. Improved Private Sector Environmental Performance

Objectives: To work with enterprises in Jordan to develop and adopt sound environmental and natural resource management practices and technologies, and demonstrate that high environmental standards are consistent with international competitiveness.

D. Environmental Education, Transparency, and Public Participation In Environmental Decision-making and Enforcement

Objectives: To work with government, educational institutions, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to: (1) share experiences on public involvement in environmental decision-making; (2) enhance transparency in regulatory standards and program implementation; and (3) exchange knowledge and experiences on environmental education strategies and programs, with a focus on basic and community-level education.

Activities

1. Establish the Network for Jordanian Industrial Sustainability, a web-based initiative to enhance two-way communications between government and industry and disseminate tool kits for best management practices.

2. Continue and expand a youth extracurricular education program, in partnership with the local NGO Petra National Trust, aimed at developing the knowledge and sense of ownership nearby communities have toward Petra and its natural and cultural assets.

3. Strengthen the conservation education and outreach capacity of NGOs in Jordan, including RSCN, Princess Basmeh Youth Centers (PBYRC), Al-Shejarah Society, the Jordan Green Building Council, and JUST, to promote public awareness and youth participation in conservation programs.

III. Benchmarks, Monitoring, and Evaluation

As the Parties implement the activities under the Work Program, implementing partners will identify performance indicators and benchmarks to measure progress in furthering the goals and objectives of these activities and to facilitate public reporting of that progress. The Parties recognize that a variety of government agencies and civil society groups will be involved in implementing the activities under this Work Program, and that the agency or group that leads implementation for a particular activity will strive to be responsible for public participation, information disclosure, and performance tracking related to that activity.

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